Corrugated insulated wall structure



March 23, 1965 w. WAlTE CORRUGATED INSULATED WALL STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 15, 1961 United States Patent 3 174 591 CQRRUGATED INSUiATED WALL STRUCTURE Wiiiiam Waite, Qhicago, BL, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Transco Inc., Chicago, iii, a corporation of Deiaware Fiied Sept. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 138,458 Claims. (Qt. 189-414) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a corrugated insulated wall structure and more particularly to an insulated wall structure that is used to enclose a storage tank or the like.

A particular object of my invention is in the provision in a wall structure of this character of an arrangement for attaching the insulation to the inner surface of each of the corrugated wall panels that comprises the wall structure.

An equally important object of my invention is in the provision in a wall structure of this character of a yieldable connection between wall panels comprising the corrugated insulated wall structure which permits the panels to expand or contract in relation to atmospheric conditions.

A further object of my invention is in the provision in a wall structure of this character of a prong-like connecting member carried by the inner surface of each of the corrugated wall panels and upon which is impinged the insulating member provided with a backing material that cooperates with the fastener plate which functions with the prong to secure the insulated material to the corrugated panel.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the application of my insulated corrugated wall structure.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detailed view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional View taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the prong-like attaching means as employed in my invention, and showing in dotted lines the supported tip members in collapsed position, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fastener plate as used in my invention.

This invention relates to a corrugated wall structure that is provided with an inner layer of insulation. The wall structure normally surrounds in spaced relation an independently constructed storage tank It The outer shell, or wall structure, of my invention comprises a plurality of panels 11 that are connected together in any approved manner, such as by rivets or the like. Each panel consists of a corrugated Wall section 12.

This corrugated wall section 12 is preferably insulated by attaching to the inner face thereof sheets of insulating material 13. In the present invention these sheets of insulating material 13 are provided with a thin backing 14 of fiber glass material, or the like. This backing 14 serves the purpose of holding the loosely constructed insulating material together.

The corrugated panels 12 have periodically secured on the inner protruding curve of the corrugation a plurality of prongs 15. These prongs 15 are provided with a base 16 formed at substantially a right angle to the longitudinal length of the prong as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The base 16 is adapted to be connected to the corrugated panel 12 by any suitable means such as welding or riveting.

The insulating sheets 13 are adapted, at each of their corner portions, to be impinged upon the prong 15. The prong 15 will have its tapered end 17 projected beyond the outer face of the backing material 14 as viewed in FIG. 3.

A metallic fastener plate 18 is provided which is adapted to cooperate with the backing i4 and the prong 15 to connect the insulating sheets 13 to the corrugated panels 12. This fastener plate 18 has two of its opposite corners provided with prongs 19. These prongs 19 are adapted to be imbedded into the backing material 14 as seen in FIG. 3. The fastener plate 18 is provided with a center opening 20 through which the pointed end 17 of the prong 15 is adapted to be projected. The pointed end 17 of the prong 15 is divided into equal parts by means of slitting the same as at 21 to provide attaching tabs 22.

After the end 17 of the prong 15 has been projected through the opening 20 of the fastener plate 18, the attaching tabs 22 are bent out of the longitudinal plane of the prong 15 in opposite directions into facial abutment with certain portions of the fastener plate 18 adjacent the opening 29 as shown in FIG. 2.

As this outer insulating Wall structure is exposed and responsive to atmospheric conditions, the corrugated panels 12 are subject to expansion and contraction. In this respect, I propose to connect the lowermost panel sections 23 to the next supported panel section by means of a yieldable connection as shown in FIG. 2 wherein the lowermost corrugated panel section 23 is provided with a prong 15, having a base 16 which is provided with an angularly formed tail section 24.

The supported corrugated panel section 25, as viewed in FIG. 2, is provided with a prong 15 having a base 16 which provides a complementary angled tail section 26. When the panel 25 is mounted upon the supporting panel 23, the taii sections 2 and 26 which are each angularly formed complementary to each other, will have their outer surfaces in facial abutment. It should be noted that the supporting panel 23 has an upper edge portion thereof that extends upwardly beyond the lower edge of the supported panel section 25.

in the construction of the corrugated insulated wall structure just described, the panels 23 and 25 are yieldably connected together so that their arrangement will not be disturbed by changes in their physical condition due to changes in the atmospheric condition surrounding them.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An insulating wall structure for storage tanks and the like comprising a plurality of juxtaposed prefabricated wall panels,

(a) each panel including a metallic corrugated outer wall section,

(b) a sheet of insulating material carried by one side of each of said corrugated wall sections,

(c) a connecting means carried by said one wall of each of said corrugated outer wall sections for connecting said sheet of insulating material to said one Wall of said corrugated Wall section, and

(d) a means provided by said connecting means of one of said wall sections engaging a corresponding means provided by said connecting means of a juxtaposed wall section so as to provide a yieldable supporting connection between said juxtaposed prefabricated Wall panels.

2. An insulating wall structure for storage tanks and the like comprising,

(a) a plurality of juxtaposed prefabricated wall panels,

(b) each panel including a metallic corrugated outer wall section,

() a sheet of insulating material for each of said outer wall sections having a backing member to which the insulation is bonded,

(d) each of said outer wall sections having one edge extending beyond a correspondingedge of said insulating material to provide an end overlap connection between said outer wall sections when, the same are placed in a juxtaposed position,

(e) connecting means for attaching said sheet of insulating material to said corrugated wall section,

f) said connecting means including a substantially L-shaped prong-type element upon which is impinged said insulated sheet, and

(g) a means provided by said connecting means of one of said wall sections engaging a corresponding means provided by said connecting means of a juxtaposed wall section so as to provide a yieldable connection between said juxtaposed prefabricated wall panels.

3. An insulating wall structure for storage tanks or the like comprising,

(a) a plurality of juxtaposed prefabricated wall panels,

(b) each panel including a metallic corrugated outer wall section, a

(c) a sheet of insulating material connected to one side of each of said wall sections,

(a') each of said outer wall sections having one edge extending beyond a corresponding edge of said insulating material to provide an end overlap connection between said outer wall sections when the same are placed in a juxtaposed position,

(6) connecting means for attaching said sheet of insulating material to said corrugated wall section,

(f) said connecting means including a substantially L-shaped prong-type element upon which is impinged said insulated sheet,

(g) each of said prong-type elements being provided with a tail section extending angularly from the base thereof in a direction away from the corrugated outer wall section, with the tail section of one element of one wall panel in facial abutment with a mating tail section provided by a prong-type element carried by an adjacent wall panel when said wall panels are in juxtaposed relation so as to provide a yieldable connection therebetween.

4. An insulated wall structure for storage tanks or the like comprising,

(a) a plurality of juxtaposed prefabricated wall panels,

(b) each panel including a metallic corrugated outer wall section,

(0) a sheet of insulating material for each of said outer wall sections having a backing member to which the insulation is bonded,

(d) each of said outer wall sections having one edge extending beyond a corresponding edge of said insulating material to provide an end overlap connection between said outer wall sections when the same are placed in a juxtaposed position,

(e) connecting means for attaching said sheet of insulating material to said corrugated Wall section,

(1'') said connecting means including a substantially L-shaped prong-type element upon which is impinged said insulated sheet, the base of which is adapted to be connected to the corrugated panel on the high point of its corrugations,

(g) a fastener plate positionable upon said element and in facial contact with the backing member of said insulating sheet with the free end of said prongtype element being bent parallel to its base and into facial abutment with said fastener plate so as to secure said insulating sheet between the base of said 7 prong-type element and said fastener plate,

(/1) means on certain corners of said fastener plate for impinging upon the backing member of said insulating sheet. so as to fixedly connect said fastener plate thereto,

(1') said prong-type elements providing a tail section extending angularly from the base thereof in a direction away from the corrugated outer wall section,

(j) said tail section of one element of one wall panel contacting a mating tail section provided by a prongtype element carried by an adjacent wall panel when the wall panels are in juxtaposed relation so as to provide a yieldable connection therebetween.

5. An insulated wall structure for storage tanks or the like comprising,

(a) a plurality of juxtaposed, prefabricated wall panels,

(b) each panel including a metallic corrugated outer wall section,

(c) a sheet of insulating material connected to one side of each of said wall sections,

(d) each of said outer wall sections having one edge extending beyond a corresponding edge of said insulating material to provide an end overlap connection between said outer wallpanels when the same are placed in a juxtaposed position,

(e) connecting means for attaching said sheet of insulating material to said corrugated wall section,

(7) said connecting means including a substantially L-shaped prong-type element upon which is impinged said insulated sheet, the base of which is adapted to be connected to the corrugated panel on the high point of its corrugations,

(g) the leg of said prong-type element being tapered in the direction away from said corrugated panel and terminating into a slotted point,

(h) a fastener plate positionable upon said tapered leg of said element and in facial contact with the backing member of said insulating sheet with the parts of said point defined by the slot being bent in opposite direction with respect to each other and parallel to said base and into facial abutment with said fastener plate so as to secure said insulating a sheet between the base of said prong-type element and said fastener plate,

(i) said fastener plate having laterally extending prongs on certain corners thereof for impinging upon the backing member of said insulating sheet so as to connect said fastener plate thereto,

(i) said connecting meansadjacent the end overlap connection between the wall panels. being provided with a tail section extending angularly therefrom in a direction away from the corrugated outer wall section,

(k) said tail section of one of said connecting elements of one wall panel contacting a mating tail section provided by a connecting element carried by an adjacent wall panel when said wall panels are in juxtaposed relation so as to provide a yieldable supporting connection therebetween.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,687 5/15 Lane 20-4 1,955,443 4/34 Spafford g 189-85 2,323,297 7/43 Collins 220-63 2,388,968 11/45 Hedgren 18934 2,746,578 5/56 Blomley 189-3 X 3,031,044 4/62 Stitt et al. 189-34 RICHARD W. COOKE, IR., Primary Examiner.

CORNELIUS D. ANGEL, JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiners. 

1. AN INSULATING WALL STRUCTURE FOR STORAGE TANKS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF JUXTAPOSED PREFABRICATED WALL PANELS, (A) EACH PANEL INCLUDING A METALLIC CORRUGATED OUTER WALL SECTION, (B) A SHEET OF INSULATING MATERIAL CARRIED BY ONE SIDE OF EACH OF SAID CORRUGATED WALL SECTIONS, (C) A CONNECTING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ONE WALL OF EACH OF SAID CORRUGATED OUTER WALL SECTIONS FOR CONNECTING SAID SHEET OF INSULATING MATERIAL TO SAID ONE WALL OF SAID CORRUGATED WALL SECTION, AND (D) A MEANS PROVIDED BY SAID CONNECTING MEANS OF ONE OF SAID WALL SECTIONS ENGAGING A CORRESPONDING MEANS PROVIDED BY SAID CONNECTING MEANS OF A JUXTAPOSED WALL SECTION SO AS TO PROVIDE A YIELDABLE SUPPORTING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID JUXTAPOSED PREFABRICATED WALL PANELS. 